Equipment

Kansas City Southern has the right equipment for your shipping needs.

Having the right equipment is critical to moving your cargo safely and efficiently. In fact, Kansas City Southern has one of the youngest fleets of locomotives among the Class I railroads in our effort to have both efficient and environmentally responsible engines to move your shipments.

Each year we add to our pool of assets new and cars and equipment to transport your goods in the most efficient and safe manner possible.

To help you get started, here is a list of the various equipment used in KCS' rail shipping and the commodities most often used by the equipment.

Automotive cars are designed to carry all the items needed for the just-in-time automotive industry.

Auto racks come in various sizes to serve all the automotive industry’s needs.

Car attribute

Auto rack bi-level

Auto rack tri-level

AutoMax

# Rack

2

3

2 or 3

Vehicle capacity

10

15

22-24

Gross rail load

179K

195K

250K, 260K

Boxcars are fully enclosed with doors. Equipped boxcars have special equipment that facilitates transportation of commodities ranging from Appliances to Paper and everything in between.

Car attribute

50-ft. boxcar

60-ft. boxcar

60-ft. boxcar – high cube

86-ft. boxcar

Inside length

50 ft.

60 ft.

60 ft.

86 ft.

Inside height

11 ft.

11 ft.

13 ft.

13 ft.

Door type

Single plug, single sliding

Single plug, single sliding

Single plug/double sliding, double plug/single sliding

Single plug, double plug/single sliding

Door opening

10 ft.

10 ft., 12 ft.

10 ft., 12 ft., 16 ft.

20 ft.

Gross rail load

220K, 263K, 286K

263K, 286K

220K, 263K, 286K

220K, 263K

Primary commodity

Paper

Paper, plywood

Paper, appliances

Appliances

Covered hoppers are permanently enclosed and handle bulk commodities. They are equipped with weather-tight openings for top loading and are commonly seen with Grain and Agricultural items.

Car attribute

Standard covered hopper

High cube covered hopper

Cubic capacity (cft)

4650, 4750

5150, 5161, 5188, 5200

Gross rail load

263K, 286K

286K

Hatch type

Trough, circular

Trough, combination

Outlet gate type

Gravity

Gravity

Primary commodity

Grain, fertilizer, potash

Grain

Flat cars feature flooring laid over the sills without sides and are geared to carrying oversized items.

Car attribute

Centerbeam

Bulk head

Platform length

73 ft.

57-61 ft.

Gross rail load

63K

263K, 315K

Gondolas are open-top cars with fixed sides, fixed or drop ends and solid bottoms. Equipped gondolas have special features designed to transport specific commodities ranging from Ag and Mineral to Metals and Scrap.

Car attribute

Short mill gondola

Standard mill gondola

Long mill gondola

Interior length

42 ft., 48 ft.

52 ft.

66 ft.

Gross rail load

220K, 263K

220K, 263K, 286K

220K, 263K, 286K

Rotary couplers

No

No

No

Intermodal equipment grants shippers the ability to transport freight by either rail, truck, or ship, all while utilizing the same shipping container. The below chart outlines the main type of intermodal equipment that is utilized across the KCS network.

Tank cars are used exclusively for transportation of liquids, liquefied gases, compressed gases and solids liquefied prior to unloading. All tank cars are owned by the customers. The railroad does not provide tank cars.